By the Pride of the Quincy
by Shini-Kender
Summary: AU deviating from chapter 235 and through 236, written for a certain quincyloving friend who was disappointed by the chapter. This time, Ishida comes to save the day.


The ice shattered and it was only a heartbeat, a matter of seconds, as the hand curled around Rukia's face, the potent surge of reiatsu leading to a Cero filling the air just as the ice shards exploded in a mist about them all. Ichigo couldn't think between the searing pain of Grimmjaw's blade and the sharp burst of fear for Rukia's life. It wasn't like when he fought Grimmjaw. He could be as reckless with himself as he wanted, but there was something in him that worried more over Rukia than he worried over himself. Maybe it was the fact that he was too used to protecting her, too used to making sure she was okay after discovering that the power she lent him simply wasn't returning to her body.

It had become instinctual almost, checking to make sure she was alright, even as he charged ahead, reckless as ever. And so, watching as Grimmjaw's fingers tightened on her cheeks, Ichigo felt fear for the first time during their fight. It wasn't like the adrenaline he felt when the cero blast had gone his way. This was colder and so very much more real.

A single intake of breath and the fear broke in a flash of light.

Ichigo fell back for just a second, eyes widening. It wasn't possible. Ishida was the only quincy he knew and last he had seen him, that one night when everything had changed, Ishida's reiatsu had changed. Something in the Soul Society had taken those powers that had been the source of so much of his pride. He knew that. He had felt it as the scrawny little ass was going on about lace patterns and different makes of ribbons, acting as if nothing was even remotely different from the last time they had spoken. He knew he wasn't completely intuitive when it came to some things, but something had been off then. Something had been off enough to make him shut up and realize that Ishida's powers weren't there in the way they had always been.

And yet, as he turned to the source of that brilliant blue light was none other than him.

"Ishida..." he murmured, gaping and slowly stumbling to his feet. There he was with all his powers again, the weird-ass cross on his wrist even larger than before. Ichigo gathered his wits, grinning a bit as he stumbled, "Took ya long enough."

Ishida cracked a thin smile, almost as if relieved to see him, "Don't expect me to go cleaning up your messes all the time, Kurosaki." Dark blue eyes returned to the recovering arrancar as he climbed free of the final wreckage of the ice block of Kuckiki's making. Grimmjaw's shirt was tattered and ripped entirely off at some places. The proud arrancar's face was splattered with blood and bruises, some his own, some Ichigo's, the same as his chest.

"Who the hell're you?" he grunted. He had never seen anything like that. It was almost like a cero, a sharp concentrated blast of reiatsu, a projectile of sorts, but at the same time it wasn't. And it stung like hell. Grimmjaw rubbed the raw skin.

Ichigo had to grin at Ishida, as he stepped forward, haughty voice the same as ever. Some things never really did change. "I'm Ishida Uryuu, the last active quincy and your destroyer," he stated. He wasn't really talking to shinigami, after all. His cool eyes fixed on the hollow in human form. Ichigo didn't feel like a shinigami anymore. He had trained. Something was off about him. And, well, Kuchiki was a classmate. She didn't count. It was his job, as it always had been, to protect Karakura. And, even as a shinigami, Kuchiki still counted as part of that town, regardless.

Ishida closed his eyes and brought his arms into the position he'd known since childhood, the position his grandfather had taught him so patiently. This was his town to protect. These were his friends, the first ones he'd ever truly had. Ishida would protect them with his pride as a quincy. He pulled back and the second arrow flew true.

From the warehouse doorway, eerie eyes narrowed, fixing on Ishida's form in the distance. A normally cheshire grin drew into a long line. So he hadn't been needed after all? Were these the ones that would stand against Aizen? Were they really strong enough? Shinji watched as the negacion and a final arrancar joined the front.

"Shiiiiinjiji," a familiar coo came from his side and he glanced down at a familiar pair of wide green eyes. "You didn't get to save Berry-tan?"

A familiar grin quirked the corners of Shinji's lips, although it didn't quite reach his eyes, "Nah, Hiyori'd kick my ass if I interfered."

It faltered a bit when he recognized the grinding of a fist against his back, "C'mon, boss, let's get ready fer when he comes back. Heh. We'll kick 'is ass when he does. Teach 'im t' run out without finishin' 'is trainin'."

Shinji's smile grew a bit, "Yeah. We'll do that." He turned, shoving his hands into his pockets and giving those gathered outside a final glance. Last quincy, huh? Who'd have thought. 


End file.
